The Temporal by CJ Martin Read Free Book Online Page A

to eye. I will be in contact,” she said, removing her glasses completely. 
    He couldn ’t believe what he was seeing. A gray mist seemed to creep in from the edges of his eyesight and then quickly turn into a dark mass of thick fog. It was the kind of fog he had experienced as a young man studying at university in London, deep and bewitching. It was not, however, a fearful fog. Something about it was soothing and distracting. 
    Distracting from reality.
    He fought to dispel the cursed woman’s tricks. His hands flew in random directions in an attempt to scatter the fog away. His head shook violently and he closed his eyes tight.
    But even then, he could still see her eyes.
    Minutes later—after he had thoroughly given up any hope of escaping those eyes—he relaxed his hands and let his shoulders go limp. Opening his eyes, he saw that no fog remained. The woman was gone and his bedroom was as before. 
    Only one thing felt different. His hand was weighted. Looking down, he saw that he was holding his pistol.

Chapter 9
    Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan
     
     
    Sam stepped outside, leaving the lobby behind. He was enjoying a deep breath of the night air when he realized that he didn’t even know the name of the hospital. Turning to examine the lettering above the entrance, he attempted to read the sign. He recognized the two characters for “hospital” but little else. Shrugging, he turned back to the street.
    It was a fairly small building positioned alongside a narrow street. The light from the entrance barely reached halfway to the street but even a full moon couldn’t keep Sam from tripping on the curb. Sam caught his footing and readjusted the backpack.
    “ ‘Ask a taxi,’ the doc said. What taxi?” Sam asked himself in a voice barely above a whisper.
    Despite the sarcasm, he had a hard time being angered by the doctor ’s sudden unfriendly turn; the doctor had, after all, saved his life. But the coldness was most unusual. He had been bubbly and overly friendly only that morning.
    The narrow street was empty save for an occasional non-taxi vehicle whizzing by. The hospital wasn’t quite in the middle of nowhere, but it wasn’t in a part of the town frequented by taxis either—at least not at this hour.
    “ The doc could have at least called one for me.” Realizing he was talking to himself, Sam shot a few glances over his shoulder. Some stubble from the beginnings of a beard rubbed against the padded strap, reminding him he needed a shave and a long shower. He was, however, thankful no one else was out. He could vent his frustrations without embarrassment or explanation.
    He began looking around for any sign of life. Perhaps Suteko was hiding in the bushes playfully waiting for him to find her? His right hand lightly touched the landscaped tops of bushes bordering the sidewalk.
    Thoughts of Suteko swirled within his mind. Was this going anywhere? Sam was still sane enough to know all this business had too many unknowns, but his affection for her was not one of them. He felt the beginnings of a teenage crush coming on. Sanity alone may not be enough to prevent him from following her anywhere, doing anything for her. He felt more akin to a sick puppy than a recently divorced thirty-five year old earthquake survivor.
    Taking a few steps forward, he saw some movement in the bushes ahead. A creeping web of fear spidered over and within his chest, but he soon breathed easily. It had simply been the wind. The few still young sakura cherry trees planted on the roadside also swayed ever so slightly, confirming it had been the dull evening breeze.
    Sam sighed, letting the tension flow out with his breath. It felt good to let it all out, but then he remembered her. Should he have waited on the bench outside the hospital? Would Suteko come tonight? No, it was well past visiting hours—it was after midnight. Surely she wouldn’t come until the morning. Visiting hours probably wouldn’t start until eight,